If you receive an email with the subject “mysterious Shein box”, don’t open it. It’s not mysterious at all, and it’s not from Shein.
If you receive an email with the subject “mysterious box from Shein”, do not open it. It is not mysterious at all and it is not from Shein. It is a phishing email, coming from hackers who are trying to steal your personal information.
Shein was founded in China in 2008 and, being so popular, it is an important target for identity thieves and similar scammers. Harmony recalls that hackers often carry out scams with fake gift cards on Instagram and throughout the web, posing as the retailer.
Recipients receive an email apparently from Shein claiming that they have won a “mystery box” that can be redeemed. Those who click on the image to “redeem” the gift are redirected to a fake Shein website where they are invited to share their personal information.
There are numerous warning signs in this email campaign, making it easy to detect. First of all, the sender’s email address doesn’t resemble the official Shein domain. Additionally, the email doesn’t contain any branding or logo.
Finally, the URL of the website that visitors are redirected to is obviously not Shein’s website. And that’s where we lose any chance of getting out of the scam unharmed.
In view of the bad press it has been receiving lately, Shein invited six influencers to its offices to whitewash its image. Spoiler alert: it didn’t go well.
€10 billion. That’s the amount that Chris Xu, one of those billionaires who have managed to fly under the radar, supposedly handles. He accumulates vast sums of money, obviously earned at the expense of the sweat of others. Just to give you some context, he is the CEO of Shein, the fast-fashion company made in China, whose methods are, let’s say, shady. Perhaps that’s why, considering the recent bad press they have been receiving, Shein invited six influencers to their offices to clean up their image. Spoiler: it didn’t go well.
It was a Channel 4 documentary that sparked the controversy. ‘Inside the Shein Machine’ revealed the reality of one of the Chinese factories, which is exactly as you can imagine: human rights violations (500 garments in 18 hours), unsanitary conditions (they wash their hair during breaks because they even work on Sundays), and so on. A marketing disaster for the brand.
Of course, the company acted offended and invited Dani Carbonari, Marina Saavedra, Aujené, Fernanda Stephany Campuzano, Kenya Freeman, and Destene Sudduth, influencers with varying degrees of prestige, to their factory in Guangzhou. It’s not surprising: Shein has always relied on Instagram and TikTok users by sending them free clothing (the famous “hauls”) in exchange for promotion. So, instead of inviting the TV channel itself or reputable journalists, they did what they usually do and reached out to people who live on the internet.
Get a glimpse of the process of how your purchases are packaged directly from our facility and delivered to your doorstep. Watch as our partners discover the cutting-edge tech that streamlines our operations and receive a hands-on experience in packaging. Stay tuned to the #SHEIN101 series to learn more of what goes on behind the scenes at #SHEIN#SHEINOnTheRoad
But the image makeover went terribly wrong, appearing as a staged performance for the cameras, completely different from what was shown on Channel 4. The influencers didn’t hesitate and uploaded very positive TikTok videos, accusing others of “misinformation” surrounding Shein, showcasing how clean their innovation center was or enjoying their time in China. However, their followers saw something that they didn’t notice: it wasn’t a real factory.
In fact, it was just a model they used for the rest of the production. There were no fire extinguishers or emergency exits, and half of the machines were idle. An expert in clothing manufacturers in China, Susan Bailey, detailed in a Twitter thread everything that was wrong with those pure propaganda videos. And there were quite a few issues, starting with the complete absence of individually cut garments, as if it were Louis Vuitton, instead of a place where tens of thousands of dresses are churned out every day at ten euros each.
Certainly, Shein will continue to operate smoothly due to the precariousness of society, but this whitewashing attempt has stirred up a lot of discussion. It’s particularly noteworthy because what people think you’re hiding is always worse than what you’re actually hiding. I’m sure more than a few individuals will think twice before purchasing a beach dress or shirt from there, for whatever reason it may be. Perhaps it’s about supporting human rights, you never know.
